Indira Gandhi National Open University-Distance Education

Want to pursue your education through distance education? Want to know the university that provides best and high- quality education in India through distance education? Then choose IGNOU for your studies through distance education. Know the complete details of the university for your reference about the university.

Overview of Indira Gandhi National Open University

The Indira Gandhi National Open University was established in the year 1985, under the Act of Parliament to provide education to individuals, to build an education society in the country. It is located in Maidan Garhi, Delhi. The university has 67 regional centres. The university is named after former Prime Minister of Indira Gandhi with the motto of IGNOu being 'The People's University'. The university strives to increase the enrollment ratio by offering distance education with high- quality education. IGNOU is a Public, Central University started with a budget of Rs. 20 million. The Chancellor of the university is the President of India. IGNOU is run by the central government of India and is one of the largest universities in the world. There are about 4 million students enrolled in the IGNOU. The IGNOU University was founded to provide education to the Indian population through distance education. Presently IGNOU has millions of students enrolled in India and in countries across the world. Students from UAE, UK, Namibia, Seychelles, Mauritius, Liberia, Samoa, Mongolia, Gambia, Indonesia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and many other countries are studying various courses through distance education from IGNOU.

Objectives of IGNOU

The university provides quality education to all sections of the society and aims for giving best standards of distance education and to build human resources in the country. The Open University is designed to encourage and educate the masses along with extension training, teaching and research-based activities. The university acts as a resource centre, maintains the standards of distance education in India and is recognized by the University Grants Commission. The university offers to provide instruction of high quality and innovative, need-based programs at different levels to meet the demands of the learner's requirements. The distance learning programs reach out to all the disadvantaged by providing programmes at affordable costs.

The university enables for regulating the standards and promotes for distance learning education. The courses are designed to cater to all sections of society by providing continued professional development and training education. Keeping in focus the objectives of IGNOU it offers seamless access to sustainable learner-centric quality education. It's emphasis on skill up gradation using the latest techniques and innovative technologies for training and methodologies for improvement in large-scale human resource development. It aims to set standards required for promoting integrated national development and for understanding at the global level.

Significant mark has been made by the university in the areas of higher education, community education and continued professional development. The university has tied up with reputed public and private institutions for enhancing the educational opportunities provided by it to the learners. The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Canada has conferred several awards to IGNOU for its excellence in the field of education through distance education several times. COL has recognized IGNOU as a world leader in the distance education programs. The university is now focusing on developing the interactive multimedia and online learning and enhancing the traditional value of distance education with modern technology-enabled education. It has provided free of cost education to jail inmates across the country.

Accreditation and Recognition

As per the clause 5(1)(iii)of the IGNOU Act 1985, IGNOU has been granted the authority to confer degrees

The University Grants Commission of India (UGC) has recognized IGNOU as a Central University

The Association of Indian Universities recognizes the degrees conferred by IGNOU in par with its degrees conferred by its members

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) recognizes the programs, Master of Computer Applications and Master of Business Administration of IGNOU

The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) has designated IGNOU as its first centre of excellence for its Distance Education

The first convocation of the IGNOU University was held in 1989, with more than 1000 students graduated and received the diploma awards. In 1990 IGNOU broadcasted the first audio-video courses. The first virtual campus in India was launched by IGNOU in 1999 and the courses of computer and information sciences were delivered through internet.

Schools of IGNOU

IGNOU has 21 schools, 2667 study centres and 29 overseas centres in 15 countries. IGNOU is offering higher education to students in India and it constitutes about 20%. The Open University offers certificate, diploma and degrees courses.

School of Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences, Education, Continuing Education, Engineering and Technology, School of Management Studies, School of Health Sciences, School of Computer & Information Sciences, School f Agriculture, Law, Journalism and New Media Studies, Gender & Development Studies, Tourism Hospitality Service Management, School of Interdisciplinary & Trans-disciplinary Studies, School of Social work, School of Vocational Education and Training, School of Extension & Development Studies, School of Foreign Languages, School of Translation Studies and training and School of Performing & Visual Arts

Divisions of IGNOU for Administration

IGNOU has eleven divisions within the university to take care of all the administrative activities. These include the Academic and coordination division, Administrative Division, Construction and Maintenance, Computer division, International division, Finance and Accounts Division, Library and documentation division, Material production and distribution, planning and development division, regional services division, Students evaluation division, and student registration division.

IGNOU Research Units

The Research Unit was established in 2008 with the objective of conducting the research council and research committee meetings for developing policies and for conducting research activities. It is also engaged in conducting workshops/seminars on research methodology for part-time and full-time research students. It enables discipline-based research and facilitates systematic research. It helps in registering the full-time and part-time MPhil and PhD students and also monitors them. It enrols research teaching Assistants for conducting research and training.

Regional Centres

The regional centres across the country act as the resource centre for all practical purposes; they are the centres for training coordinators, counsellors and other functionaries. The centres are the venue for the students for expressing their responses related to particular subjects. Random checking of students assignments is done at the centres. The regional centre provides facilities such as library course material, audio and video cassettes, computers, TV, fax, internet etc. Random checking of students assignments is done at the centres.

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Comments

The author has explained nicely the salient features associated with Indira Gandhi National Open University known as IGNOU in short.

The way it has gained popularity because of the quality course material and unique guidance of eminent professors in the alleviation of doubts during the concept clearing session in different subjects appears to be unique and no university of the similar status has such a provision.

The most interesting aspect is that this open university runs a large number of courses stretching from Humanity to most advanced technical courses like MCA, MBA etc with no compromise in the quality content of the subject materials. Apart from this, this institute runs short duration courses such as Fashion technology, Diploma in computer application, Diploma in Journalism etc.

In respect of persuasion of Doctorate or M.Phil degrees, this open university seems to be ideal because of the unique support system of the professors apart from a well-stocked library having huge volumes of books in different streams. Moreover, there is an encouraging environment to sustain the research work.

Going through this article would enrich the knowledge of the aspirants about the different activities being carried out by IGNOU. The author has taken pains by enlisting all the essential features which they carry out in strengthening the knowledge of the aspirants.

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